Improvement in snap-hooks



it: 3. STEEL.

v SNAP-HOOK. N0.17Z,355. Fatented Jan.18,1876.

N PETERS. FHOTO-LITHOGRAPNER, WASHINGTON. D c.

UNITED STATEs PATENT OFFICE.

ELBRIDGE J. STEELE, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO SARGENT &CO., OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN SNAP-HOOKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1 72,355, dated January18, 1876; application filed November 23,1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELBRIDGE J. STEELE, of New Haven, in the county ofNew Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement inSnap-Hooks; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken inconnection with'the accompanying drawings and the letters of referencemarked thereon, to be afull, clear, and exact description of the same,and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, andrepresent, in-- Figure 1, top view; Fig. 2, side view; Fig. 3,longitudinal central section; Fig. 4, modification.

This invention relates to an improvement in the article known to thetradeas snaphooks and it consists in the combination and arrangement asfully hereinafter described.

A is the hook proper, formed on a shank, B, terminating in a loop, C, orother device for attaching the hook. The hook Ais open relatively to theshank in substantially the usual manner. D is the tongue pivoted in arecess in the shank, as at a, with a spring, b, arranged in connectionwith the said tongue, the tendency of which is to throw the tongue downward so as to open the hook, as indicated in broken lines, Fig. 3. Inthe rear of the tongue, and in the recess of the shank, a lever, E, isarranged upon a fulcrum or pivot, f. The forward end of the lever isformed to fit the upper surface of the rear end of the tongue above thepivot, whatever that may be. Below the line of the two pivots the end ofthe lever is made substantially concentric with the pivot of the leverand the rear of the tongue of corresponding form; hence the pressureupon the tongue to depress it, as for opening the hook, is resisted bythe end of the lever, so that when the tongue is closed the lever practically locks it in that closed position. The 1ever extends to the rear soas to form a convenient thumb-piece, F, by which the rear end may bedepressed, and consequently the forward end raised, as indicated inbroken lines.

So soon as the bearing-surface of the forward lockingpower of the leverby simply extending the tail-piece of the tongue, as seen in Fig. 4, tothe rear beneath the lever, so that pressure upon the tongue to open itwill raise the forward end of the lever; but I prefer the lookingconstruction.

By this construction an easy method is afforded for opening the hook forattachment or detachment.

I am aware that it is not new to combine a lever with the tongue of asnap-hook, so that depressing the lever may open the hook. as such maybe foundin the patent ofJ. B. Surgent, November 12,1867; therefore I donot wish to be understood as broadly claiming such a construction.

I claim 1. The combination, in a snap-hook, of the hook A, tongue D, andlever E, the meeting or bearing surfaces between the said lever andtongue being substantially concentric with the pivot of the tongue, asand for the purpose described.

2. In combination with the hook A, the tongue D, and lever E, eachprovided with independent springs, substantially as described.

ELBRIDGE J. STEELE.

Witnesses:

J ornv E. EAELE, CLARA BRoUeHToN.

